Dental caries develops when cariogenic bacteria living in the oral cavity, such as Streptococcus mutans, take cariogenic carbohydrates contained in foods and drinks, such as sucrose, fructose and glucose, and produce acids, and the acids dissolve enamel and dentine of the tooth surface.
The main components of enamel and dentine of the tooth surface are hydroxyapatite and fluororapatite. These substances are decomposed by the activities of the acids produced by the cariogenic bacteria, and phosphate ion and calcium ion are released (demineralization).
At the same time, calcium ion and phosphate ion in saliva in the oral cavity are incorporated into the enamel surface, and the demineralized part is recrystallized (remineralization).
Demineralization and remineralization are repeated in the oral cavity at every meal and are generally in an equilibrium state. Dental caries develops when the balance is disturbed.
As means for preventing dental caries, use of oligosaccharides, sugar alcohols or the like having anticariogenic activity is known. In Patent Document 1, palatinit is used as a noncariogenic oligosaccharide which is not consumed by mutans streptococci. Patent Document 2 discloses one, or two or more sugar alcohols selected from xylitol, mannitol, galactitol and inositol and describes that the sugar alcohols have anticariogenic activity.